*:･ﾟ✦ Years ago, Leah might have broken down into tears, deeply apolegetic as Ferris's temper bubbled over. She would have done anything to calm the trembling anger in his voice, including being publically embarrassed by him once again. He had been one of the few friends she was permitted to have as a child and was definitely the closest. Losing him was not a option back then. That was then. Now, the girl's cold, seething eyes refused to look away from his fuming ones. She paid no mind to the knife in his hand, despite knowing full well that he could follow through with his threat at any time, and instead did her best to appear unfazed. However, confusion flickered across her face for only a brief moment as Ferris shouted. Experiments? Why would the privileged son of two high-ranking and extremely wealthy Erudites have been subjected to experiments?
That question would have to wait. A voice came from the shadows, vaguely familiar but haunting all the same. Leah had heard the same condescending voice before, when it was taking glee in practically beating her unconscious during the first few days of initiation. She instinctively took a step back, suddenly aware of her bad positioning between Ferris and a cold, hard brick wall. If things went south, she was ready to make a run for it out of the alley, but the face that came out of the shadows practically froze the girl in her place. Bastian. The sadistic ex-initiate from Candor who had given Leah a few bruises to carry on her body the first week of initiation. Leah generally wasn't a spiteful person, but she had been glad to see the sadist flunked. As he catcalled and leered at her, the only thing partially blocking him out was the sound of her heart beating rapidly in her chest. Her eyes flitted over to Ferris, who despite not outwardly showing it, seemed to be feeling the same way she did. It was both slightly reassuring and dreadful.
The only thing knocking her out of her frightened stupor was the sight a knife being shoved in her direction. Her first reaction was to grasp it tightly before remembering her training. Combined with Ferris's breathy command to run, however, Leah didn't shy away from darting out of her bad position and towards the exit, not daring to look back. As pathetic as he was in her eyes, she truthfully had no doubt that he'd be able to handle himself. She'd just never let him know that in case it inflated his ego even more. Almost out of the alley, her path was suddenly blocked by two taller figures. Dressed in rags and filthy all over, Leah could practically smell their poverty. The first spoke in a teasing voice, almost like he was playing with food. "Where're you going, little lady? Stay a little while and play with us!" Leah's face couldn't help but contort in disgust as the two cracked their knuckles, preparing to lunge at her.
The two oafs were not as bright as they were tall. Failing to take the size of the alleyway into account, they charged in at the same time. Leah practically danced in and out of the fray, avoiding hit after hit and giving them a slash in return. She could feel their still-warm blood collecting on the blade and dripping onto her hand. "Bitch! All you had to do was look pretty, and stay still." Outraged, they put more effort into their hits, sacrificing what little precision they originally had. One fist collided with her ribs, almost knocking the wind out of her but not the knife out of her hand. Adrenaline quickly took over as she realized this was a life-or-death situation. What happened next was a blur to Leah as her body went in autopilot, almost as if refusing to acknowledge what she was doing. When she refocused, two bodies laid at her feet. One's throat slashed, and the other was violently stabbed. The alleyway was eerily quiet, save for the sound of her rapid pants. Ah, Ferris. Leah slightly leaned against the wall on her way back towards him, exhausted and ribs sore.
With quiet steps and legs that trembled from exhaustion, Leah found her way over to him and placed a light hand on his shoulder to alert him to her presence. He immediately backed away, and Leah made no attempt to move closer, choosing instead to sink to the floor alongside him. Two childhood friends who had once gone dancing together had now committed homicide together. The silence between them only emphasized the deed. She wasn't sure how much time had passed when two more figures arrived in the alleyway. She didn't have the energy to deal with anymore people, and Ferris didn't either. A command being shouted at them was all Leah needed to immediately feel a sense of dread. The police. As she shakily raised her arms as high as they could go, a tight grasp on her wrist yanked her from the floor and towards the exit. The pair rounded the corner as the police recovered from the surprise getaway and began chasing them.
Something was wrong. She could feel his hold loosening and tightening in intervals and his steps were lacking his usual coordination. Leah had seen this before, and this was not the time for Ferris to succumb to his addiction and pass out. Especially since they were both splattered with blood and being chased by the police. As Ferris stumbled into unconsciousness, Leah wasn't sure what to do for once. Her body had practically already given up, and the police were catching up quickly. With Ferris tumbling onto the pavement and slipping into unconsciousness, Leah did her best to cushion his fall before stopping to face the police and put her hands up. This was the slums of Erudite territory. Dealing with the factionless could not be a lucrative position. If there was something she learned from her upbringing, it was 'money is power'. She turned to face the police and put her arms in the air as they aimed their guns at them. "I have a proposition for you. If you let us off the hook and take my friend to the hospital, I can pay you almost three times as much as you make in a year." Clearly, the idea had struck a chord with them as the officers glanced at one another before nodding back at Leah.
It wasn't long until they were at the hospital. Leah had personally requested the one closest to the train tracks. The officers grunted in annoyance at her request, but a simple wave of Ferris's wallet silenced them. Speaking of his wallet, he had an exorbitant amount of money. It was more than any instructor, or even head of Dauntless, could make. The sight of it made her squint in suspicion, but there was no time to think about it. She took most of the money, leaving only a couple thousand in the wallet, and placed it in the seat of the car. Then, she rushed Ferris into the hospital, watching as the nurses and doctors wheeled him away, hooking him up to IV after IV. As she laid by his bedside, waiting for him to regain conscienceness, the sight was reminiscent of an experiment like he had mentioned earlier. Her worry for his health quickly turned into a burning curiosity. What was he going to tell her earlier? Where did he get all the money? As she gazed upon his almost too serene face, Leah felt her eyes slowly close bit by bit. Must... stay awake. We can't stay here very long. The minute he's awake, we're leaving... Words are different from actions, though. With a quiet yawn, the exhaustion slowly took over her body as her head sunk slowly onto the bed, a subtle squish emitting from her damp, blood-soaked sleeves. Maybe she'd close her eyes for a minute... or two.
